How many times do I flush?

[nicol]

Hi Everyone

Quick question, I'm currently growing Green Gelato in a light-mix Biobizz medium. I have been using only Biobizz feeding products as well.

I have a 5 gallon fabric pot, and after reading through the group it seems that I need 2/3 times the amount of water per size container. So in this case 10/15 gallons. And that I need to start flushing around 1-2 weeks prior to harvest.

I was wondering...

How many times do I have to flush with this huge amount of water? From my understanding its that I have to do it once and then I have to continue watering as usual. Am I correct?

Also, it seems that it is based on the medium that you use if you need to flush or not. Last time I grew I didn't really flush and I used the same medium and nutrients and I was coughing like hell while smoking.

Thank you all

 

[Skunksta]

Im coco so no real use to you.

But i know a woman who can @Emilya
I would say if you nutes ask for a flush do so.
If they dont i would not.
Its one of those questions that can cause confusion.
And when searching a lot of bro science pops up.
Me in coco i feed right till the end and dont flush if im honest.
drying and curing proper tends to sort most of my taste/cough issues i have.
Hope she chimes in your learn ALOT if she does

Hope this helps some

 

[EZCalyx]

Hello @nicol ! This is a controversial topic and there are two sides to this coin. I see you're using organic nutrients, this is good. Did you use any mycorrhizae, beneficial bacterias or compost teas? The term "Flushing" gets some people wrapped up into hissy fit around here. About two weeks until harvest I like to stop using nutrients and only feed with water and unsulfured molasses, I call this flushing. Others who get upset about the term seem to have their own definitions and ideas of what it means. During my grows I try to achieve optimum soil and root health with organic nutrients, mycorrhizae and beneficial bacterias. The molasses at the end does not add sweetness to the buds it feeds the life which feeds the roots which feed the plant. The end result is a much smoother enjoyable smoke (this is my opinion and it will upset people).

 

[Emilya Green]

Hi Everyone

Quick question, I'm currently growing Green Gelato in a light-mix Biobizz medium. I have been using only Biobizz feeding products as well.

I have a 5 gallon fabric pot, and after reading through the group it seems that I need 2/3 times the amount of water per size container. So in this case 10/15 gallons. And that I need to start flushing around 1-2 weeks prior to harvest.

I was wondering...

How many times do I have to flush with this huge amount of water? From my understanding its that I have to do it once and then I have to continue watering as usual. Am I correct?

Also, it seems that it is based on the medium that you use if you need to flush or not. Last time I grew I didn't really flush and I used the same medium and nutrients and I was coughing like hell while smoking.

Thank you all

If you are running chelated synthetic nutes, salt builds up as the nutes are used, and you likely need to flush them away at some point in the grow. To wash this salt out of the soil it takes about 3x the container size, so a 5 gallon container will need 15 gallons of water poured through it in one session. I suggest the shower or toilet to catch the runoff. After the flush, treat it as just another water only watering and let the plant dry out as it normally would, and then feed/water/feed/water till the end, just like normal.

The most critical time to do this flush is around week 6, just as the buds go into their final phase, and when they need the most nutes they have ever needed during the grow. Flushing the salt out of the medium helps to give the plant additional water uptake and the soil will be able to handle the nutes and pass them to the plant more efficiently. Doing this at the end allows for a great finish and allows the plant to build in the most THC and flavor, whereas starving the plant at the end does exactly the opposite.

Flushing does not mean to give only water... that is simply a regular water only watering. If you have been advised to starve the plant at the end, this is not flushing, this is forced starvation, and it really should be avoided. Feed the plant normally right up to the end and then use the drying and curing process after harvest to eliminate the harsh from your smoke. Flushing the soil has nothing to do with that, so if you were coughing when you smoked your product, something went wrong in the cure, not whether you flushed or not or starved the plant at the end or not.

 

[Emilya Green]

Hello @nicol ! This is a controversial topic and there are two sides to this coin. I see you're using organic nutrients, this is good. Did you use any mycorrhizae, beneficial bacterias or compost teas? The term "Flushing" gets some people wrapped up into hissy fit around here. About two weeks until harvest I like to stop using nutrients and only feed with water and unsulfured molasses, I call this flushing. Others who get upset about the term seem to have their own definitions and ideas of what it means. During my grows I try to achieve optimum soil and root health with organic nutrients, mycorrhizae and beneficial bacterias. The molasses at the end does not add sweetness it feeds the life which feeds the roots which feed the plant. The end result is a much smoother enjoyable smoke (this is my opinion and it will upset people).

lol, I only get a little twerked because what you state here is wrong. You can not flush a plant. You can only flush soil. If you feed with artificially made nutes, that have been chelated with edta salt, then you will likely have a need to flush the salts out of there before the end of your grow. The only thing that smoothes out the smoke is the cure. Stopping the feeding of your plant in the last week or two is one of the most counterproductive things you can do, for that is the time when the finishing buds need the most nutrients ever. If you don't supply what they need, the plants will cannibalize themselves for the needed nutrients and your finish will not be pretty and there is no guarantee that the buds will get everything they want in order to fully express their genetic THC levels and flavor profile.

 

[nicol]

If you are running chelated synthetic nutes, salt builds up as the nutes are used, and you likely need to flush them away at some point in the grow. To wash this salt out of the soil it takes about 3x the container size, so a 5 gallon container will need 15 gallons of water poured through it in one session. I suggest the shower or toilet to catch the runoff. After the flush, treat it as just another water only watering and let the plant dry out as it normally would, and then feed/water/feed/water till the end, just like normal.

The most critical time to do this flush is around week 6, just as the buds go into their final phase, and when they need the most nutes they have ever needed during the grow. Flushing the salt out of the medium helps to give the plant additional water uptake and the soil will be able to handle the nutes and pass them to the plant more efficiently. Doing this at the end allows for a great finish and allows the plant to build in the most THC and flavor, whereas starving the plant at the end does exactly the opposite.

Flushing does not mean to give only water... that is simply a regular water only watering. If you have been advised to starve the plant at the end, this is not flushing, this is forced starvation, and it really should be avoided. Feed the plant normally right up to the end and then use the drying and curing process after harvest to eliminate the harsh from your smoke. Flushing the soil has nothing to do with that, so if you were coughing when you smoked your product, something went wrong in the cure, not whether you flushed or not or starved the plant at the end or not.

Thank you so much for your immense knowledge.
I feel way more comfortable with the flushing situation... now to understand how to properly dry and cure to remove that fu***** hard cough. I just started growing for the first time this year, so I'm still learning as I go.
Do you have any recommendation on threads on this forum that outline the drying and curing process? I would be insanely grateful.

 

[Mudballs]

lol, I only get a little twerked because what you state here is wrong. You can not flush a plant. You can only flush soil. If you feed with artificially made nutes, that have been chelated with edta salt, then you will likely have a need to flush the salts out of there before the end of your grow. The only thing that smoothes out the smoke is the cure. Stopping the feeding of your plant in the last week or two is one of the most counterproductive things you can do, for that is the time when the finishing buds need the most nutrients ever. If you don't supply what they need, the plants will cannibalize themselves for the needed nutrients and your finish will not be pretty and there is no guarantee that the buds will get everything they want in order to fully express their genetic THC levels and flavor profile.

Mudballs approved...pay attention kids